A West Charlotte High School student was seriously injured late Monday morning when she was struck by a car in northwest Charlotte, police said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police received a call about 11:52 a.m. regarding a pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle in the 1800 block of Beatties Ford Road, in the University Park community.

Police found Jennifer Crystal Tejeda, 16, lying in the left northbound lane of Beatties Ford Road near the intersection with Hildebrand Street.

Angela Hobbs, 50, was stopped in the right northbound lane in a 2004 Dodge Stratus. According to police, the Stratus had damage to the front driver’s side and windshield.

Tejeda was unresponsive and taken to Carolinas Medical Center with critical injuries.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Heath Morrison said the student was on her way to attend classes at Central Piedmont Community College.

Morrison said that Tejeda has regained consciousness and is responsive and talking.

“We ask everybody, especially this first week back as students and adults are getting used to new traffic patterns, to drive gently and just be cognizant that school is fully back in session,” Morrison said.

Police said initial findings suggest that Tejeda was trying to cross Beatties Ford Road and ran in front of other vehicles, causing them to apply brakes. A truck with a trailer traveling northbound in the left lane of Beatties Ford Road slowed to avoid striking her, police said.

Hobbs was traveling in the right northbound lane and did not see the pedestrian because the truck obstructed her view. Tejeda continued running across the street directly into the path of the Stratus, police said.

Hobbs applied brakes but could not avoid striking the pedestrian, police said.

A marked crosswalk with caution signals is located 96 feet from where Tejeda was crossing.

Alcohol use and excessive speed were ruled out as contributing circumstances, police said. Andrew Dunn contributed.